River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-11-24
WRITER'S YOUTH.
His First Published Poem and the FrIenC
1t Brought Him.

/ II
IL Brought Him.
Whittier began 10 rhyme very early
and kept his gift secret from all ex
cept his oldest sister. fearing that his
father. who was prOsaie man. would
think he was wasting time. He wrote
under the fence, in the attic. in the
barn-whereve be could escape OBJ
servation; and as pen AMI ink wer,
not always available. he sometime,
used chalk. aud even charcoal Grea
was the surprise of the family when
some of his verses were unearthed
literally unear.hed. from under n heal
of rubbish in a garnet; but his fathcl
frowned upon these evidences of I'll,
bent of his mind. not out of kindnes
but because he doubted the sufii ciency
of the boys education for literary
life. and did not wish 10 inspire hin
with hopes which might never be full
/ filed.
His sister had faith in him. neverthe
less. and, without his knowledge, sh,
sent one Of his poems to the editor OF
the Free Press. a newspaper published
in Newburyport. Whittier was helping
his father to repair 4 stone wall by The
roadside. when the carrier furg a copy
OF inc paper TO him. and. unconscious
that any thing of his was in it, he
opened it and glanced up and dowI
the columns. His eyes fell on som,
verses called "The Exile's Depart
ure:n
Fond scenes which delighted my youthful e:
istence,
With feelings of sorrow bid ye adieu-
a lasting adieu; for now, dim in the distance
The shores OF Hibernia recede from m.
view
Farewell to the cliffs tempes;-beateu ant
gray,
Which guard the loved shores OF my own ma
tive land;
Farewell 10 the village and sail.shadowed bay
The forest-erownedh hill and the waterwashet
strand.
His eyes swan; it was his own poem
The first he ever had in print.
What is the matter with thce?" hi,
father demanded. seeing how dazed he
was; but, though he resumed his work
on the wall. he could not speak. ant
he had TO steal a glance at the paper
again before he could convince him
self that he was rot dreaming. Sur,
enough. the poem was there with his
initial at the foot of it-'W, Haver
hill. June l, 1926, and, better still,
this editorial notice: If w. a
Haverhill. will continue TO favor us
with pieces beautiful rs the one in.
serted in our poetical department OF
to-day, we shall esteem it a favor"
The editor thought so much of The
EXilc's Departure. and some othel
verses which followed it from the same
hand, that he resolved TO make tht
acquaintance Of his new contributor
and he drove over to see him
Whittier, then boy of eighteen, wa
summoned from the fields where he
was working. clad only in shirt
trousers and straw hat. and having
slipped in at the back door so that he
might put his shoes and coat on. came
into the roo m with shrinking diff
fidencc. almost unable to speak anC
blushing like n maiden" The editor
was n young man himself. not more
than twenty-five or twenty-three, anC
the friendship that began with this
visit lasted until death ended it. How
strong and how close it was. aud how
il was made to serve the cause O
freedom may be learned in the life o
the great abolitionis;. William Lloyt
Garrison. which was the edi. or'.
name. St Nicholas